Robert Ewin Prather

September 27, 1921 – December 23, 2011

Robert Ewin "Bob" Prather, 90 years old, died in his sleep at his home in Fruita, Colorado on Friday, December 23, 2011. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Merline; his parents, Thomas Ewin Prather and Sarah Paris Prather; brother, William C. "Bill" Prather, and grandson, Dustin Bert Prather. Surviving are his four sons, Robert D. "Bob" (Mary) of Grand Junction, CO; William L. "Lyle" (Margaret), Ned H. (Dollie), and Richard L. "Dick" (Connie), all of DeBeque, CO; daughter, Nancy R. Gibson, Lakewood, CO; sister, Pauline "Polly" (Kenneth) Duffy, Grand Junction, CO; and brother, Thomas R. "Tom" (Deborah), Ft. Myers, FL; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews. Bob was born on September 27, 1921 in Nashville, Tennessee. His parents, Tom and Sarah started ranching in the DeBeque area and soon Bill, Polly, and Tom were born. Bob graduated from DeBeque High School in 1939 and married Merline Burdick on August 30, 1942. Together they began a life of ranching and raising their family in the Roan Creek/DeBeque area. Bob entered the Army in 1945 and proudly served overseas in World War II. Bob and Merline were very active in the community, and Bob served for several years on the DeBeque School Board. They often opened their home to their friend's and neighbor's children, taking in several over the years. They were as proud of their "other kids" as they were their own and enjoyed watching them build their lives and raise their families. Although keeping up with the ranch work kept them busy most of the time, one of Bob's greatest pleasures was sitting in on a good poker game with his friends. In 1980, after retiring from the hard work of ranch living, Bob and Merline moved to Mother's dream home in Grand Junction. They were so pleased to have a place big enough to host their many relatives and early morning coffee friends. Merline's health began to fail, and on October 6, 1999, she passed away. For the next 11 years, Bob shared many good times with his life-long friend, Dixie Williams, helping her manage her farm until her death in the spring of 2011. In September of this year, Bob celebrated his 90th birthday with many family members and friends. He repeated several times how proud he was to have such a wonderful family and so many good friends over the years. Bob is most remembered for his abundant generosity, sincerity, honesty, and staying true to his beliefs. He greatly valued his reputation, always honored his parents, was a loyal friend and neighbor, and was loved and respected by all who knew him. Visitation will be Saturday, December 31 at Martin Mortuary at 12:00 p.m., services will follow at 1:00 p.m.